Angelo Centeno, a first-year student at Thomas More, reflects on his experience in Kenya after following his calling to join the Xavierian Brothers. In this Saints Spotlight, Angelo shares his journey to finding his vocation and his advice to other young people discerning a call to service. Let us know who you’d want to hear from in a future Saints Spotlight at tmuky.us/saints!

Kendra Yurt: Hi, I’m Kendra Yurt. Welcome to Saints Spotlight.

Kristen Gallagher: I’m Kristen Gallagher, and we’re joined today by Angelo Centeno, a first-year student at Thomas More, studying theology and educational studies. 

Angelo Centeno: Thank you all for having me.

KG: Angelo, can you share a little bit about the path that led you to Thomas More, and why did you choose to study here? 

AC: Absolutely. I’m a theology and educational studies major, and I discovered, in the midst of my high school days, that I was being called to something more. I had a theology teacher who changed the course of my life, and I wanted to study theology and learn more about the Catholic faith so that I can, in turn, be what my teacher was for me to my future students. I was like, “What is a private Catholic school that’s fairly close to home that works for me?” I came and visited Thomas More, and after meeting with Josh Ostertag, who’s the campus minister, I just fell in love. I think the main thing that that drew me to Thomas More was the Chapel, [which] is at the center of the campus. If that is not symbolic, then I don’t know what is, because it is the faith that is at the center of who we are, and that, for me, was a done deal. 

KY: When you were a student at St. Xavier High School, you discovered a desire for your vocation. What inspired you at that age towards this mission? 

AC: During my time at St. X I discovered a vocation, or calling, to join the Xaverian Brothers after doing a number of different service opportunities. The one that stuck out the most was a project called “Sleep in Heavenly Peace,” which is an organization that builds beds for low-income families who do not have beds. In the city of Louisville, they opened a chapter in the west end, which is a low-income area, and I started working with them my junior and senior year of high school. I remember the first time I went into a family’s house, and I built a bed—it was a mom and three kids, and we built and put the sheets on the beds, and [after], the kids came into the room and their eyes lit up. It was something so simple that was such a huge thing for them. 

I think that was the moment that I knew that I had fell in love with the service to God and to God’s people. I [thought to myself] – “Why do we do what we do? Why do we do service? Why do we go out into communities and do what we do as a Catholic school?” So, I started to look at the teachings of the Xaverian Brothers who founded St. Xavier High School in Louisville back in 1864 and it was very attractive. The charism of the Xaverian Brothers and the mission made so much sense for my life. As students in Xaverian Brother sponsored schools, we have the mission that says, “Give the gift you have received as a gift,” and that within itself just makes sense, because God gives us so many gifts, and as disciples of Christ, we should, in turn, go out and give those gifts to the peoples of the world. That, for me, is what drew me to the missionary life with the Xaverian Brothers. God willing, after graduating from Thomas More, I’ll return to Kenya and join formation with his Xaverian Brothers, and in a short few years, be a professed brother.

KG: You did mention you traveled to Kenya over the summer, and can you tell us a little bit more about what were you doing there? And then, what did you learn from that experience? 

AC: Immediately after graduation, I got on a flight to go to Nairobi, Kenya [where I stayed in both Nairobi and Bungoma, Kenya]. It all started when a Xavierian Brother from Africa came to Louisville, and I sat down with him, [explaining] that I was falling in love with the congregation and with service and knowing that the congregation now is based in Africa, [I told him] I wanted to go to Africa. But, for someone who has never been to Africa or out of the country, that was a huge deal. 

When I told my parents, they were like, “Okay, we’ll see.” I remember hugging my mom in the airport, and [thinking], “Wait, what am I getting myself into?” [as I traveled] the 26 hours. After, I arrived in Nairobi, and I was greeted by a Xavierian Brother, by the name of Brother Dominic, who I had never met before. He picked me up from the airport, and he took me back to the community. 

The Xavierian Brothers live in different communities spread out across Kenya, Congo, and South Sudan. When I first got there, I entered the house with what we call “postulants,” which is the second stage of religious formation for the brothers. I was in deep prayer amongst them, and formation. When you’re in formation, you take different classes to learn more about the history of the congregation, the mission of the congregation and why we do what we do. Those were my first two things before I moved out to Bungoma. 

When I moved to Bungoma, after about two and a half weeks in Nairobi, I was teaching an English course to secondary students at our school, which is also named St. Xavier High School—it is just 8,000 miles away in Africa. I taught an English class in what’s called “CBC,” so it’s learning based on what the students like, rather than a set curriculum. [With this,] all my students loved American rap music, but half of them did not understand it. So, I developed a class based on American rap, teaching English based off the music. We would listen to the music and whatever words the students did not understand, I had them write it out on their paper, and then we would go through a dictionary, find the word, and I would have them write an essay based on those words. That was probably the best three weeks of my life teaching American rap music, because I personally do not listen to rap music, but it opened me up to liking this [style of music], because I was teaching them.

We just had a fun time. I think that was what made me very comfortable during what was an uncomfortable time throughout my entire journey. In Kenya, being in deep prayer with the brothers, participating in the mission, and being amongst the students who I will be teaching in a few short years, was very wholesome. 

[With this,] we also have a rescue center that we run in Bungoma, Kenya, which I spent a lot of time there as well. The rescue center brings in boys off the streets who are having family struggles or a battling addiction. The Brothers go out and get these young men and [bring them] to hospitals for evaluation to see what kind of health issues they are having, what kind of drugs they [may be] addicted to, and different cases like that. Then after we evaluate them in the hospital, we bring them back to the rescue center where they take daily courses in English, math, science and basic life skills, [while] helping around the compound with added free time. [From here,] we rehabilitate them, so when they leave us that they can reenter society as functioning citizens. A lot of the boys who are in the rescue center go through our secondary school as well, where we will teach them. So, the brothers have strong connections with all the people that they serve.

I think that was another thing that attracted me to the congregation, because I am a huge people person. Obviously, you all can tell by how much I am talking. I am very extroverted and talkative, which attracted me to building connections with these people.

I think the biggest lesson that I learned was, when doing service is it is not us versus them, it is us with them. As much as I gave them, they also gave me: spiritually, mentally, faith wise, I received more from them than what I brought to the table. That is the biggest lesson we can learn while doing service, it is us with them, not us against them.

KY: What has your family’s reaction been to all of this? And have they been supportive of you? 

AC: They have been extremely supportive, and I like to think of it as a miracle. My family is not Catholic, and I converted to the faith last March on Easter, where I received Baptism, Confirmation and First Holy Communion. My parents were there to witness that, and I think they just knew, apart from my [other] siblings, I was very different. I remember telling my mom I wanted to become a religious brother, and she [told me,] “Well, how are you going to make money?” And I [responded], “Mom, you are obviously not Catholic, and you obviously do not know what a religious order is. It is not about the money for me.” After I explained that to her, she wanted to support me because [she loved me and believed I was going to do great things, assisting me in the best way possible]. At first, her and my dad were both skeptical, as they [thought] “He is going to Africa. We do not know these people. We do not know where he is staying.” But they paid for all my vaccines and for my flight.

I still look at that as a miracle, because they did not fully understand it, but they supported me regardless. I am forever grateful for that, because they really did go out on a limb. I know it was hard for my mom, and she called me every day I was there and [expressed], “If you want me to buy your return flight early, I can. I do not mind switching your flight.” And I was like, “No, I have to stay. I have to see it through, mom. I can’t come home early, but I love you to death.” They are beyond supportive of not only me becoming Catholic apart from my family, because my family is not religious, but they are supportive of my vocation as well. 

KG: Having gone through all of this, what message would you share? What would you want other young people to know, if they may feel a call to religious life? 

AC: I would say, be open minded. Open yourself up to the possibilities that God has in store for you, because there is so much out there, and you just have to find what is for you. I will say, before I had a call to become a religious, I was living for what other people liked. My first initial thought was to go to college and study political science on a pre-law track. When I told people that, their faces lit up, [and] they were like, “Oh, you are going to be great. You are going to be phenomenal.” And I [thought] that is actually not what I want, but because it is likable by other people, that is what I will do. But then I soon realized, do not be so closed minded, open yourself up [and] do what you really like. [So, I asked myself], “What do you really like?” and the answer to that was service to others. It was hard to adjust to, but that was the point – nothing in life is easy. I think the founder of the Xavierian Brothers says that very well that “Nothing special is achieved without much effort, labor, and zeal.” I live by that day in and day out. Nothing is going [to] come easy, but you have to work hard for it, because in the end, something special will be achieved. 

Another thing I would say is get outside of your comfort zone, because if you are always in your comfort zone, you are probably never going to learn anything. When you are uncomfortable, it is not the best feeling. The majority of my trip in Africa was very uncomfortable, [however], I learned so much from it, and if I was comfortable the entire time, I would have learned nothing. The language barrier, the different food, the different culture, it was all very hard to adjust to, but I learned so much about my faith, [and] the people around me, which is incredible and being outside of your comfort zone does that. 

I encourage young adults, or even young people in general, who are discerning a call to religious life or discerning a vocation of any sort [to] get outside of your comfort zone and open your heart up to the possibilities that God has for you.

KG: Thank you so much for sharing. We love your story, and we thank you for coming on Saint Spotlight.

AC: Absolutely. 

KY: Thank you for joining us today for our Saints Spotlight. If you want to see more videos like this, you can visit our YouTube channel. To submit a nomination for our future Saint Spotlight, you can click the link below.